Chapter 812: It’s really too out of the ordinary to bring a gift.

"My grandson Li Zhan pays a visit to his aunt, and my nephew Li Zhan pays a visit to his uncle!"

Li Zhan then put down the torn sack in his hand, took two steps forward, bowed to Mrs. Sheng in the center of the Shou'an Hall, and then bowed to Sheng Hong again and said hello.

"Good boy, why are you so polite? Get up quickly!"

Mrs. Sheng sat on the chair with a happy and loving expression and quickly reached out to stop her.

Li Zhan stood up and faced the two men's gazes calmly, without any embarrassment, nervousness or embarrassment. This demeanor made Sheng Hong and Mrs. Sheng secretly nod, feeling that this child was generous and decent, and had received a good education. He is a person who knows etiquette.

Mrs. Sheng carefully looked at Li Zhan in the hall. He was taller than Sheng Hong, but a little thin. His face had a look of hunger and coldness. It was obvious that life was extremely difficult. His eyes were clear and clear. , seems to have a brightness that ordinary people don't have, and has an outstanding and handsome appearance. He is wearing a gray cotton robe, which is a bit big and doesn't fit well. It shouldn't be his own. There are scattered patches on it, and the fabric has been starched. They were turning white, and they were wearing a pair of cloth shoes, which were made from farmers' mille-feather soles. They were also worn out, with some threads exposed, and it looked like they were cotton shoes that had not been replaced.

Li Zhan remained calm and undisturbed, allowing his elders to look at him without any change.

Old Mrs. Sheng is very satisfied with Li Zhan. Although he is dressed in a mess, he has good demeanor and etiquette. He is a good child. What is even more rare is that this child has a strong mentality, is not embarrassed at all, can face the eyes of others calmly, is neither humble nor arrogant, and is very grand. .

After Mrs. Sheng finished looking at her, she spoke in a polite way.

"It's so hard on you kid. Your grandmother has been dead for more than three years. Why did you come to the house today? How do you ask me to face my grandmother in the future?"

Li Zhan's expression straightened and he said respectfully again.

"As a grandson, I naturally have to observe mourning for my grandmother for three years. Now three years have passed. Yesterday, the cold wind of March 9 unfortunately tore the roof of my thatched house. In desperation, my grandson had no choice but to come and disturb me in order to survive. , I’m really ashamed!”

Mrs. Sheng was shocked when she heard this. She didn't expect that Li Zhan was so filial and actually kept the tradition and served his grandmother for three years. She couldn't help but love and pity Li Zhan even more, and said emotionally.

"It's hard for you kid, it's really not easy to live alone at such a young age!"

"It's a good thing for you to observe mourning for your grandmother, and I shouldn't stop you, but once the three-year mourning period is over, you should come here, and you shouldn't continue to live alone!"

Mrs. Sheng said to Li Zhan with some complaints. She was obviously very satisfied with what Li Zhan had done, so she said this.

"This is my junior's fault. I really have a stronger temper and don't want to disturb my aunt, so I'm ashamed to come to the door!"

Li Zhan was extremely honest and directly stated the reason why he did not want to surrender. A gentleman is magnanimous and there is no need to be secretive about such things.

Old Mrs. Sheng nodded understandingly when she heard this. She knew that the thin child in front of her wanted to make a living and did not want to live under someone else's roof. If the cold wind hadn't torn up his thatched hut last night, he probably wouldn't have come to the door. There was a flash in her eyes. With a little love, children who are sensible and independent will always make the elderly worry and love them more.

Mrs. Sheng didn't want to make Li Zhan look bad, so she changed the subject and turned her attention to the torn sack that Li Zhan brought. Because the sack was tied, she couldn't see what was inside, so she spoke politely.

"You kid, come on. Why are you carrying such a heavy gift to my aunt? You're so out of line!"

Mrs. Sheng also knew that Li Zhan was living in poverty. Although she didn't know what the contents of the sack were, she probably guessed that they were agricultural products, so she said this.

Li Zhan was stunned when he heard this, and followed Mrs. Sheng's gaze to the sack behind him. He looked embarrassed, smiled, scratched his head with his hand in embarrassment, and said with a shy look.

"To be honest with my aunt, my grandson is at the end of his rope and he didn't bring any gifts. It's really rude!"

Mrs. Sheng was a little surprised in her eyes, glanced at the sack in confusion, and then asked with a smile.

"That's an old woman, I made a joke. You shouldn't have brought any gifts to your great-aunt, but I'm curious about what's in your sack?"

Li Zhan had a flash of memories, a little sad. His grandfather Li Mingjia and his father Li Zong both suffered from physical exhaustion because of the things in the book. His grandfather Li Mingjia had died before him and he had never seen him, but when his father Li Zong was seriously ill, He still can't let go of these books, and he is thinking about being a lintel for the Li family and hoping to be named on the gold list. So how dare Li Zhan forget his father's last wish, he must pass the imperial examination in this life and bring glory to the Li family.

Li Zhan sighed, then glanced at Sheng Hong, who was also a scholar, and replied in a deep voice.

"This sack contains the teachings of the saints left by my father and ancestors. My grandson dare not abandon them, so he carries this sack to the house to make trouble."

Old Mrs. Sheng was stunned when she heard this, but she was also silent. She had already learned from Li Zhan's grandmother's letter that both generations of the Li family studied hard for the imperial examination and suffered so much that they died early and the family fell. He failed and left this poor child behind.

Sheng Hong had a different view from Mrs. Sheng. He was a scholar, so he naturally admired Li Zhan's behavior very much. You must know that in this era, everything was inferior. Only in the Northern Song Dynasty, when Li Zhan left home and joined the Sheng family, he had nothing. He only brought a sack of saint's classics. If Li Zhan can be named on the gold medal list in the future, this will be a good story that will be passed down to future generations, so Sheng Hong nodded happily.

"My dear nephew, being able to cherish the saint's classics so much is a lesson for children. You should do the same in the future. Don't forget your duty as a scholar!"

Mrs. Sheng frowned when she heard this, rubbed her temples with her fingers, and looked at her son sitting below with some dissatisfaction.

Li Zhan saw the reactions of the two heads of the Sheng Mansion and immediately had a preliminary understanding and judgment of their temperaments.

Mrs. Sheng's temperament and bearing are far superior to those of ordinary men. She is sophisticated in human nature, treats others with affection, is polite and courteous in her heart, and can advance and retreat freely. However, Sheng Hong has some of the nobility of a scholar, and is somewhat of a philistine and tactful, but does not know how to adapt. Far less clear than the old lady.

Although Li Zhan made a judgment about Mrs. Sheng and Sheng Hong and agreed more with Mrs. Sheng in his heart, he did not dare to object to Sheng Hong's words and had to reply humbly.

"What my uncle said is true. My nephew, please remember his teachings!"

Sheng Hong looked at the humble Li Zhan and was very satisfied. He kept stroking the beard under his chin with his palms and nodded frequently, like an old master who was stubborn and did not know how to adapt.